Shoe-polishing machine



J. G. HAMILTON sacs POLISHING momma:

Filed April 1922 Patented Jan. 6, 19 25.

JAMES G. HAMILTON, LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA.

SHOE-POLISHING MACHINE.

Application filed April 18, 1922. Serial No. 554,944.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES G. HAMILTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shoe-Polishing Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe polishing machines of the type in which there is provided a set or sets of brushes and paste applying rollers to which a person desiring to have his shoes shined simply applies his shoes one at a time to the paste drums and to the polishing wheels.

One embodiment of the invention is herein described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a preferred embodiment of the invention showing a motor housing broken away to show the motor and the driving gears.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the motor housing to illustrate in end view the transmission mechanism and the top shaft.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the paste or polishing material applying drums.

In the illustrated form of the invention a main shaft 2 is mounted in suitable bearings 3 and l, the former of which may be conveniently supported in one of the uprights of a simple frame including a top rail which may be grasped by a person cesiring to have his or her shoes polished by the apparatus. Upon the main shaft 2 is or ranged a stiff bristle or wire brush 5 for cleaning the edges of the sole and the stitched portion of the vamp of a shoe. To enable the polishing of shoes of different color, there is provided two paste or polish applying drums 6, one being for black polish, for instance, while the other is for tan colored polish. in a like manner, to polish shoes of different colors, there are provided on the shaft 2, spaced butling wheels 77.

The bearing 4 of the shaft 2 is here shown as arranged in a box 5 in which there is arranged a gear 8 fast on the adjacent end of the shaft 2, and this gear engages a pinion 9 on the shaft 10 of a motor 11 all inclosed in the box 5.

It is preferable to have the motor controlled by a coin controlled mechanism. that end a timing apparatus is shown as including a pinion 12 fixed on the inner end of the shaft 2 and engaging a gear 13 which is secured to a timing shaft 14 eX- tending upwardly through-the top of the box 5 and encased in one of the frame columns. The shaft 14 passes into a casing 15 which forms a coin controlling apparatus having a coin deposit mouth 20. The specific coin controlling mechanism is not a feature of the present invention and hence will not be described in detail.

In order to prevent two or more people from polishing their shoes at one time, suitable guards are provided and these are shown as including segments of cylinders which are connected to the lower ends of swinging arms 36 pivoted at 38 to the hand rail of the frame F. Thearins 36 are each provided with a latch 37 and these engage respective guide rods 39 having divergent curved port-ions permitting the swinging of the arms 36 from a vertical guarding position to an oblique clear position, as shown in Fig. 1'. l Vhen one of the guards has been thrown to one side to expose the polishing wheels. it then is so disposed as to prevent the swinging of the other guard sufficiently to uncover its polishing wheel.

In order to prevent people standing on both sides of the machine and polishing the shoes, there is provided a guard rail 40 arranged along the rear side of the machine and which is connected to suitably fixed parts of the frame structure and disposed so as (0 prevent access to the brushes.

A preferred type of paste applying drum is illustrated in Fig. 3 wherein the body of the drum consists of a brush or bristle structure 6 and this is encased in a pliable pe ripheral cover 6 which may be of stout cloth, the outer surface of which is rendered substantially water proof in any desirable manner. Upon the water proof portion of the covering 6 is disposed a cellular band 6 forming vehicle to contain a semi-fluid polishing material. The vehicle is covered by an outer layer 6 of pervious material through which'the polishing substance may pass when pressure as of a shoe is applied to the exterior surface of the outer layer 6.

It will be seen that the impervious inner cov-. ering 6 prevents the passage of the polishing substance inwardly. The brush struc ture 6 is yieldable so that the polish applying layer 6 can be deformed under the pressure of an applying shoe so as to conform to the contour of the shoe.

Various changes and modifications may be 5 made Without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

In a shoe polishing machine, a device for applying a polishing substance to a shoe and comprising a yieldable body structure, an impervious flexible covering therefor, a polishing material vehicle arranged upon the covering, and an applying layer enclosing the said vehicle and through which the material may pass.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES G. HAMILTON. 

